Good point. But not much ambient lighting on these roads.
Thanks. The Convoys all have a mode selector, so a bright one can be turned down a bit.
I’m inclined to go for the 2100ma driver, so that it doesn’t overheat on high.
I’m a bit put off by the S4’s requirement for a 65mm (length)*18mm (diameter) 18650 flat top battery, which I presume means it will have to be unprotected. So I’m leaning towards an S3 to allow me to use a protected cell, because AFAICS the S4/S5/S6/S7 all require small flat-tops.
I think the Roche F12 is similar to the S4 and fasttech claim the roche takes long 18650s. No experience with either lights, I was just browsing them some time back.
I prefer to mount my flashlight/torch on my helmet;
so I can direct the light in the specific direction I want.
If you mount your lite on the handlebars; the first instinct
is to mount it on top of the bars. But I think mounting it
at the bottom of the bars would give a better balance.
You can use specifically made clamps, or just use strips
of an old inner tube.
Can you see all the pot holes on your route with this light? I’m guessing the video can be a little misleading. Looks like a bright hot spot, but not much spill. It only takes one missed pot hole to take you down at the wrong time.
The Convoy S3 looks like it is similiar size as the S-Mini, which was going to be my helmet light, suplementing a main light on the bars. Now if I can figure out how to compare the pair. Thanks for the comparison.
Now all I need to sort out is the mounts. On another thread, I found some links to recommended mounts on dx.com: a velcro mount and an all-plastic mount. At only $5 for the pair, they look worth a try, but dx.com repeatedly times out when I try to register an account
“Can you see all the pot holes on your route with this light? I’m guessing the video can be a little misleading. Looks like a bright hot spot, but not much spill. It only takes one missed pot hole to take you down at the wrong time.”
I’ve been using the same light(generic SSC P7 flashlight) for more than 2 years now.
I commute to work(4PM-12AM) 4 times a week, about 5,000 miles a year. More than
a third of those miles are in the dark. No night time crash, yet. I ride in an urban area,
so there are plenty of light sources. Street lamps, store fronts, cars in front and behind,
etc. I don’t have any problems seeing potholes, glass, sticks, etc.
I like a straight two fish with th e dualling velcro .
I didn't like the one like Bort linked to since the bolt rusted and it became garbage in less than a season .looks handy but really a lame set up . There are really good discussions on BLF about this stuff if you use the search and look under bike lights or mounts .. I used to use an old 501B p60 with a Bright xpg in it very successfully but I ride slowly too :P
I like the silicone stretchy bands for $1. Lots of guys just run a couple of pretty big 26650 lights like an A8 with no issues, so an S3 or 2, or some combo of flood/throw at 1/3 the weight is a decent setup, but I’d be tempted to try a dedicated light with the battery pack and headlamp adapter for around $25. If I need a light and it’s getting dark I’m gonna go with what I got in my product…light is light…but duct tape is da bomb!
+1 for the silicone elastic bands,& their good for all sorts of get you home repairs.For the torch though,I’ve tried most of
the previously mentioned clamps with their swivels,bolts,rubber spacer bands etc.Basically,they’re all crap!They twist,they
roll,the torch slips,they rust(in southern France so Ireland…)they need tools to dismount .I’ve tried them on and off road
and none are really reliable,except…
Why is it the simplest and cheapest can be the best.this does it all.Fasttech/Sports & outdoors/Bike computers & misc 1st article.You clamp it to the handle bars as tight as you like,then do the same for the torch.I’ve gone from a single
AAA torch to a TR3T6 3 18650(with aforementioned silicone bungees) so it can take all the sizes you need.Nothing to
Thanks for the video. I’ve got to get me one of those hd sports cams!
Looks like you use your light more to be seen than to see with on your urban route.
Your Urban riding environment has a lot more light sources than the suburbs/rural areas that I ride.
I used to use my ssc-p7 and mte-m3 for my night commutes, now I use the bigger the tr-3t6,tr-j12 or tr-j18 on my helmet, kind of awkward but it works. Even with the big lights I still get cager’s pulling out in front of me. I also use a magicshine 3*xml clone on the handlebar, so I’ve got plenty of light to see and be seen.
But I’m always looking for less weight and brighter lights. Currently looking for single head multi-emitter xml bike light with separate battery pack.
I use a ContourGPS cam for my on-bike shots. I also have a Fujifilm XP50
compact camera for photos and more/different angles. I was testing a new
XM-L light yesterday. Everything got soaked, light rain on my way to work;
then it really poured on my way home. Over 3 hours of rain, but all the equipment
survived.
